In addition, the 24 incumbent circuit and county judges up for re-election did not draw any opponents. Judges in Florida are non-partisan.

Write-in candidates still have another week to file, but they have little chance for victory because their names will not appear on the ballot.

"I'm glad the people realize I'm a hard worker and I do my best every day of the week," said Poitier, who was also unopposed in 1990.

There will be a Sept. 8 primary, an Oct. 4 runoff and a Nov. 8 general election to decide seven statewide offices, three County Commission and four School Board races, two state senate and four state House seats and a handful of special taxing districts in Broward.

Lippman had been targeted by local Republican officials, who held discussions with potential candidates. In the end, Lippman apparently won a ninth term in the Florida House because the GOP could not talk anybody into running against him.

Wasserman Schultz also apparently won re-election. She was bypassed by Republicans although she represents parts of southwest Broward, where GOP officials had placed much of their hopes because of the influx of conservative Dade County Hispanics.

"I'd like to think I'm unopposed because my constituents realize the good job I'm doing. But politically, I realize my seat would be very difficult to win because it is very Democratic," Wasserman Schultz said.

All four local black politicians up for re-election - Poitier, Meadows, Dawson and Eggelletion - did not draw opponents. Republicans said they avoided opposing them because if Republicans were on the ballot, more black Democrats would come to the polls, lessening GOP chances in other races.

Republican leaders said their efforts to find candidates to run against Democrats failed badly.

"It wasn't easy. I'd be much happier if we had a full field," said Lew Keller, chairman of the Broward Republican Party.

Business leaders such as Dick Kip, a Southern Bell executive, rejected GOP overtures. Kip saw the task as too time-consuming and hopeless in Broward, where there are 359,059 registered Democrats and 225,965 registered Republicans.

Richard DeVuono, a Republican School Board candidate who was already passing out literature, got a job in Puerto Rico on Thursday and dropped out, Keller said.

Another candidate who was approached decided his health wouldn't allow him to run. A third School Board candidate the GOP approached, Martin Zisholtz, filed instead as a Democrat.

Newcomers such as financial planner Brad Orvieto, 37, saw the party as weak and unable to help, so he didn't run for any office.

"They're broke," Orvieto said. "It's difficult. Their intentions are good, but it's difficult for them to help anybody."

The candidates the GOP found caused no fear among the Democrats.

"I feel good about this election. Real good," said Russ Barakat, the Broward Democratic Party leader.

Fernando Gutierrez, the GOP candidate for School Board in southeast Broward, insisted at the Supervisor of Elections Office on Friday that only his first name be listed on the ballot. Frantic Republicans standing by his side talked him out of that idea.

The GOP recruited political newcomer Walter Samuelson, an accountant, to run against Democratic County Commissioner Scott Cowan, only to discover Samuelson lived outside the proper district.

The law states that the candidate only has to live in the district the day he takes office, but the GOP has handed Cowan an issue.

The GOP also handed Cowan, the fund-raising king of the Broward Democrats, a reason to go out and solicit businesses to add to his existing $200,711 campaign war chest.

How much more money will Cowan collect? "How much money is there?" quipped Sam Fields, Cowan's campaign manager.

Cowan said he was happy to draw an opponent.

"I'm glad because it requires me to explain what I did and what I didn't do for the last four years. When I can explain this to the voters, I'm confident they will support me," Cowan said.

The following candidates have filed for office. Those filing on Friday are in bold. Incumbents are marked with an asterik. Those marked with two asteriks have petitions that still have to be approved by the Elections Division: